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We know that the default settings determine the behavior of the group. Organ donation, 401k allocations, the typeface on our word processor--the way it's set to act if we don't override it is often the way we act. Because often, we decide it's not worth the effort to change the setting today. Which means that examining your settings now and th […]

In a physical economy in which scarcity is the fundamental driver, eating lunch means someone else gets less. But in a society where ideas lead to trust and connection and productivity, where working together is better than working apart, where exchange creates value for both sides... Then the efficient sharing of ideas is its own free lunch. All of us are […]

That's a much more useful way to get feedback than asking if we like it. We make first impressions and long-term judgments based on the smallest of clues. We scan before we dive in, we see the surface before we experience the substance. And while the emotions that are created by your work aren't exactly like something else, they rhyme. It could be […]

The fact that we think the way we speak is normal is the first clue that empathy is quite difficult. You might also notice how easy it is to notice people who are much worse at driving than you are--but that you almost never recognize someone who's driving better than you are.

Power is intoxicating. Everyone loves having the ability to make their decisions into reality — to think "this should be something that happens," and then actually be able to make that thing happen. It is also dangerous. And it is especially dangerous when applied to four-year-olds. Four-year-olds lack the experience to wield power responsibly. The […]

I remember being endlessly entertained by the adventures of my toys. Some days they died repeated, violent deaths, other days they traveled to space or discussed my swim lessons and how I absolutely should be allowed in the deep end of the pool, especially since I was such a talented doggy-paddler. I didn't understand why it was fun for me, it just was. […]

This isn't a real post. I'm going to post the real post tomorrow. But it feels like there should be some sort of intermediate thing to prepare everyone for the abrupt change of speed ahead. Here's a picture of an airplane. I realize that airplanes don't look like that, but this has been a hard year for me and learning how to draw planes a […]